By KEN WYATT
Contributing Writer
Four townships in Jackson County had fire millage issues on the primary ballot this week – and in each case, proponents enjoyed a victory.
In a small turnout and with a slim margin, Pulaski Township voters renewed and restored the original 1-mill property tax levy for fire department operations. Pulaski has 1,530 registered voters, and of those, 355 people turned out – all but six on election day. That was a 23.2 percent turnout.
The vote split was 155 yes votes and 147 no votes. In other words, not all who turned out for the election voted on the millage issue. Fifty-three did not.
As for the issue itself, the original millage was for a full mill on properties. Under constitutional tax-limitation provisions, the one mill was to be rolled back to 0.9172 of a mill. However, the township opted to request a renewal of the full mill, which amounts to a slight increase and an estimated total levy of $83,434 in the first year of the 20-year renewal/increase.
Acknowledging the slim margin, Fire Chief Ryan Betz expressed appreciation for the support.
Incidentally, each Friday evening of August the Pulaski Firefighters Club is sponsoring a $20 raffle at the fire station. There are three prizes being offered at each drawing, see the details on the Pulaski Township website.
Asked if the proceeds go to any specific project, Betz replied, “No specific project, we use the funds to support community initiatives and purchase equipment that may not be in budget (more of a “want” than “need” piece of equipment) to help support the fire department.
In addition to Pulaski Township’s fire millage approval in western Jackson County, here are the results of fire millage votes in Sandstone, Summit and Grass Lake townships:
– Sandstone’s registered voters number 3,369. Of those, 829 voted on a fire protection millage renewal. Of those, 579 were yes votes, while 260 voted no, giving the issue a resounding approval. Most of the votes, 408, were cast by absentee ballot.
The issue before voters was whether to renew a millage originally at 1.250 mills, which was reduced to 1.2408 mills due to tax-limitation provisions in state law. The approval means the levy will continue four more years, ending in 2030. The township estimates the approved millage would generate $232,583 in the first year’s levy.
– Summit Township voters approved two fire/police millage issues – one was on the primary millage of 0.9623 mills, and the other was a one-mill increase. Both levies would continue for ten years.
The township has 19,312 registered voters; of those, 5,744 voted on the renewal and a smaller number, 5,696, on the increase. On the renewal, 4,473 voted yes, with 1,271 no voters. On the increase, the margin was smaller – 3,219 yes voters and 2,477 no voters.
The passage allows the township to continue contracting for five county sheriff’s deputies for police coverage of the township.
In 2027, the estimated tax generated by the passage of both proposals is $1,845,000.
– In Grass Lake Township, voters approved renewal of 1.64 mills for fire protection. The renewal term is for six years. Grass Lake has 5,389 registered voters. Of those, 1,523 voted on the millage. The yes votes numbered 1,014, while no votes were at 509. The renewal amounted to a small increase, since the state’s tax-limitation language had reduced the millage to 1.6331.
The estimated tax generated by the millage in the first year is $642,143.35.
